 Of the once numerous Ngāi Tahu only a remnant — those who had managed to escape into the dense forests of Banks Peninsula — now remained in North Canterbury.The fall of Kaiapoi had come too quickly after the departure of Taiaroa for any relief to be organized from Otago.Sometime after the final events at Onawe, however, a party of 270 Ngāi Tahu warriors, under the leadership of Tūhawaiki and Karetai, travelled by canoe from Otago up the Awatere River, their purpose being to ambush Te Rauparaha, who was known to visit the Grassmere lagoon at that time of the year to catch waterfowl.